Preceptor spotlight, occupational therapy: John Spavor

John Spavor started his professional journey at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, when he was a student occupational therapist at the University of Toronto. After graduating, he returned to CAMH for employment where he now works as an inpatient manager in the structured observation and treatment unit, and the forensic women’s secure unit. 

For the past 21 years, John has been a dedicated preceptor — offering his time and expertise to help train the next generation of occupational therapists at U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine. He talked with writer Rachel LeBeau about being a preceptor and why preceptors play an important role in the future of occupational therapy. 

Can you tell me a bit about your position and your role in supervising occupational therapy students? 

I work at CAMH where I’ve been a manager for the last 17 years. In my role, I support an interdisciplinary team of health care workers to provide the best care possible to patients who have mental illness and addictions and who have had involvement with the criminal justice system.  

I have been taking on occupational therapy students since 2004. Initially, these were clinical placements where I supported students in their learning to develop skills and meet their own personal goals.  

In recent years, I’ve worked with more LEAP (Leadership, Emerging, Advocacy, Program Planning and Evaluation) placement students, who take on their own projects and have done amazing work that always leaves the hospital in a better state than when they got here.

I understand you have been a preceptor for some time now. Do you have a guess as to how many students you have worked with? Do you keep in touch with any of them? 

I’ve lost count! Over 20, I think. My first student ever came back to work at CAMH, becoming a director in the hospital and has since moved on to a director role at another community agency. I still see about eight or nine of them regularly because they are now working in the hospital — some are frontline clinicians and some are managers, like me.  

It’s always a proud moment for me to see these great humans and professionals that I played a small role in helping develop. It’s great to continue to see them do great work all over the organization. 

What aspects of being a preceptor do you find the most gratifying? Do you have a memorable moment from your experience you’d like to share? 

There have been a lot of great moments, and I really enjoy getting to know the students and connecting with them during the weeks they are here. It is really rewarding to see them develop in their roles, find their strengths and excel in their career. 

There have been many times that patients have asked why the student isn’t still here, which means they really had an impact on the patients. Seeing students take the time to get to know our patients, connect with them and find their humanity — that’s what I find the most gratifying. 

I have to say my students have always been top notch people. It’s wonderful to see such great people represent our profession. 

What are some common challenges or obstacles that occupational therapy students face during their clinical placements, and how do you support them through these challenges? 

Students coming into a placement haven’t discovered their own strengths yet, so they are always a little unsure of themselves. In many ways, I use my occupational therapy lens to help students progress through their learning and self-discovery. 

As a preceptor, I let my students know that I’m like a trapeze net and I’m going to catch them if they make a mistake. And mistakes are good! There’s so much learning that comes from making mistakes. I’m here to support my students and if I throw them into a situation, it’s because I think they can handle it. 

Why do you think it’s important for preceptors to offer their time to help train future occupational therapists? 

The students really value our expertise — so share your expertise, but also be patient. Remember that when we show them how to do things, it may be different from what they are taught in the classroom. Students will eventually find their own style and way of doing things. 

It would be the death of our profession if we can’t hand off what we know to the next generation. We can be leaders in the way we teach our students, the way we treat them, and the way we mentor them into the workforce. Without the training of new occupational therapists, our profession will never grow. 

We as preceptors also grow by working with students. It keeps us current and helps us learn the latest concepts and terminology. And most of the time, students are enthusiastic people who are ready to take on the world. So, it’s a lot of fun being a preceptor! 

Are you a practising occupational therapist interested in teaching and supervising a student occupational therapist? Contact ot.clined@utoronto.ca or ot.fieldworkadmin@utoronto.ca to learn more.